Say goodbye to your last week of freedom—next week students and professors head back to college. We miss drooling over the books we used to buy at the beginning of the semester, so we asked several friends of AFC to share us in on their personal favorites from their fall syllabi. From the list of options below, it looks like we’ll have plenty to read.

Let’s face it, at this point, there’s no stopping PRISM. Sure, coalitions have formed to protest the NSA for greater transparency about its spying programs, but Goliath is rarely beaten with a petition. So, if Goliath can’t be beat, maybe he can be tricked. That’s where artists Anthony Antonellis and Carlos Sáez come in.

How about our beginners art reading list! This list is for all the friends over the years who have asked me what they should read to learn about art and the art world. No one wants to flip through a text book to learn about art. You won’t have to, with these books.

We called up the art insurance company AXA ART to ask what Sandy-affected galleries can expect in the days ahead. A rep tells us they’re currently moving artworks to a warehouse, where they’re performing “art triage,” so cheers to that. They also gave us a few tips for dealing with the aftermath. New gallerists in particular will want to look at this.